This is a discussion on $0.02/$0.04 Fixed Limit Hold em within the online poker forums, in the Cash Games section; Hell I just wrote out a LONG detailed cry for help in these games where I only manage to be a break-even player,
then

Hell I just wrote out a LONG detailed cry for help in these games where I only manage to be a break-even player,
then I clicked to post and was taken to log-in screen,
and all was lost! ugh!

I play very solid poker at this level but can't seem to make a profit.

hands like
1) AJ on AJ4 board where q falls on turn and I am re-raised, I cry call down and lose to the k10 i figured he had when he re-raised.
2) AA on K62 board where I am re-raised as a 6 falls on turn and I cry-call down to the 6 he is representing, which he shows me at showdown (65).

^^ do I need to begin folding on river in 1) when I don't fill up and on turn in 2) where I am re-raised.
the way these people play as soon as the Q falls and I am re-raised it is so obvious he has k10 but I call down and in 2) its pretty obvious too, they play so badly.

my original post was better.

.... any reccomendations on improving my strategy to be a winning player in these games or leads to other threads that have already discussed this same issue are appreciated by me.

FL is not very well supported on CC so you may have some troubles. Reading Small Stakes Holdem is a good start as it is the best book out there on the market for FL below... say .50/1.

In regards to getting sucked out on. It happens so just keep your head up and plow forward. In general, you should almost never be folding on the river with a good hand to one more bet. Just a few generalized tips at the nanos though you may already know these:

-Value bet, value bet, value bet. I can not state this enough. Even if draws come in, it may not be the draw your opponent has.
-Know when to chase your draws. Math is essential here. Be careful about chasing to the second nuts because those pots get ugly.
-Don't call down to the river with 2nd pair. It's generally not good and a very common leak barring a read.

Good luck.

#3

2nd August 2009, 1:38 AM

PokerMagpie [36]

Online Poker at: Stars, UBet

Game: LHE, PLO8

Quote:

Originally Posted by WurlyQ

FL is not very well supported on CC so you may have some troubles. Reading Small Stakes Holdem is a good start as it is the best book out there on the market for FL below... say .50/1.

In regards to getting sucked out on. It happens so just keep your head up and plow forward. In general, you should almost never be folding on the river with a good hand to one more bet. Just a few generalized tips at the nanos though you may already know these:

-Value bet, value bet, value bet. I can not state this enough. Even if draws come in, it may not be the draw your opponent has.
-Know when to chase your draws. Math is essential here. Be careful about chasing to the second nuts because those pots get ugly.
-Don't call down to the river with 2nd pair. It's generally not good and a very common leak barring a read.

Good luck.

I also play the same game at the same stakes as the OP, but I have only been playing for two or three weeks. Can you please explain value betting ?

@ OP : Have you considered check-raising ? I only found out about this tactic literally two days ago. I think it is a very helpful way to shake people out of the pot who want to hang on until the river and then pick you off at the last minute.... when it works, it is very fun.

#4

2nd August 2009, 2:00 AM

rStormChaser [124]

Game: Holdem,Omaha

I rarely play Low LHE nowadays, i find its very difficult to be consistently profitable at these games and theres just wayyyy too much variance.

#5

2nd August 2009, 2:40 AM

WurlyQ [760]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PokerMagpie

I also play the same game at the same stakes as the OP, but I have only been playing for two or three weeks. Can you please explain value betting ?

It is the concept of betting when you think you have the best hand. Seems simple right? Well the problem is that we do not know our opponents hand so we don't know if we have the best hand or not. However, when scare cards come, most people become afraid of betting, especially on the river and are just happy to just see a showdown.

So the flush just got there. What do we do as hero? We bet! Sure, their flush may have filled up (or the super duper unlikely 52o!) on the river but there are so many more hands that we are ahead of that would call a river bet. You're going to have to play a decent number of hands or do the math to get a feel for how often draws fill up but keep the value betting concept in mind after you check behind on the river and you see your top pair against villain's 2nd pair.

At the nano stakes, people call you with a wide array of hands. Don't be afraid to bet!

#6

2nd August 2009, 2:55 AM

RichKo [634]

Poker at: FT, UB

Game: holdem

re: Poker & $0.02/$0.04 Fixed Limit Hold em

Quote:

Originally Posted by PokerMagpie

I also play the same game at the same stakes as the OP, but I have only been playing for two or three weeks. Can you please explain value betting ?

A value bet is basically betting on the river...usually in NL a smaller than usual bet trying to induce a call when you have a good hand. A small bet seems weak so more people will call you, thus allowing you to get a little more value out of your hand. If you hit the nuts and bet out 2/3 pot or pot+, a weak hand, like one pair or second pair might just fold, where if you put out 1/3 pot or less they just might call giving you just a bit more value...hence value bet. And it can help because if your opponent can't tell if you are weak or are trying to milk him, he might be more hesitant to call your river bets.

#7

2nd August 2009, 3:03 AM

5TR8 FLUSH [1,041]

Online Poker at: FTP

Game: NLHE

Did you limp with those aces vs 5 6 or something. Maybe min raised, or it could of been early in a tourney (for some odd reason a lot of players play a lot of hands early in tourney's). Well all I got to say is better luck in upcoming games, TC.

#8

2nd August 2009, 3:38 AM

NiceNisus [422]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: anything

hehe hah.
No! I did not limp my aces in a limit hold em micro game, only a complete idiot would lol.
I raised it preflop and on the flop. The bets are fixed so yea. He just called my raise preflop, and continued to call a bet when he flopped 2nd pair.

#9

2nd August 2009, 3:39 AM

NiceNisus [422]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: anything

and WurlyQ I am going to read small stakes hold em, see if there's any new knowledge in there for me, thanks for the reccomendation.

#10

2nd August 2009, 4:54 AM

Ranger390 [217]

Poker at: PokerStars

Game: holdem

I second the Small Stakes Hold'em book...the style of play discussed there is good not only at micro stakes online games, but also in live play at much higher stakes.

#11

2nd August 2009, 6:16 AM

NiceNisus [422]

Online Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: anything

yea ranger I read some of it tonight. and I think it's helped me already. just had a winning session $0.80 buy-in raised up to $1.50 (nearly a buy-in, which, if it wasn't The Micro of Micros, would seem even sweeter). lol.
i initially was going to multi-table, but didn't think i could yet while trying some new things.

#12

2nd August 2009, 6:18 AM

NiceNisus [422]

Poker at: Pokerstars

Game: anything

re: Poker & $0.02/$0.04 Fixed Limit Hold em

^^ I contemplated applying some of these new principles to the micro o8L tables I like, but thought calculating partial outs in o8L would be too advanced for my brain insofarasimexperiencedincalculatingpartialouts.
Goodnight, I wish I was Borg and could assimilate this whole book in a matter of minutes, the rest will have to wait for another night.

#13

29th August 2010, 11:38 PM

mmjens [21]

Online Poker at: pokerstars

Game: holdem

it can be beat but you have to play care fully and watch for flushes straights and 3 of a kinds bc it's hard to make people get away from hands stay away from pre flop raises without good hands

#14

30th August 2010, 1:17 AM

zek [314]

Poker at: Full Tilt

Game: NL Holdem

Quote:

Originally Posted by NiceNisus

I clicked to post and was taken to log-in screen,
and all was lost! ugh!

Most of the time with vB forums you can click the back button and you'll be returned to the new post screen and your content will still be there.

#15

30th August 2010, 12:17 PM

forsakenone [1,386]

Online Poker at: pokerstars

Game: holdem

these seem just horrible to play, the rakeback is huge, in full ring game you will often have 7-8 players to a flop. i have no idea if you play full ring or 6 max but i think you should be playing 6 max, the variance in full ring is extreme at your stakes so you are better off playing short handed where the are less odds of people sucking out on you, to be honest with you i would be happy to break even.

#16

30th August 2010, 6:33 PM

Hambone8705 [136]

Poker at: PokerStars

Game: Holdem

Quote:

Originally Posted by zek

Most of the time with vB forums you can click the back button and you'll be returned to the new post screen and your content will still be there.

GENIUS! Ive done this a few times and never even thought to hit the back button. LOL.

#17

31st August 2010, 6:19 PM

decker91 [29]

Online Poker at: poker stars

Game: holdem

im up 14 BI's for the week playing this just play abc poker and youll be alright they will call you down with bottom or middle pair all day long